I was really looking forward to 5pm last Sunday. England’s women’s team had made it to the final and there was a definite buzz in the air. Pizza and beers ready for a roller coaster ride. Could this be the year that knocks 1966 off the top of the list? I’m very much a ‘big tournament’ football fan and love the frenzy, we as a nation, get ourselves into whenever England is anywhere near winning a cup of any sort.
They did us proud. What an amazing team! And what a phenomenal achievement. Their win was so much more than lifting the cup. My favourite reaction was…’No more years of hurt. No more need for dreaming. Because dreams have become a reality at Wembley. After 56 long years, it is glory against Germany once again. The Lionesses have finally won their first major trophy!’…awesome!!
What an emotional night - of course, there were tears…but I love a happy cry ;)
It is great to feel a part of the euphoria of winning on such a big scale. But not every win is a game changer, and we need to celebrate the small wins too.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1) It gives your confidence a boost
It is great to have something to aim for, but make sure you give yourself a pat on the back along the way. Aim too high without recognising when you’ve done well, and you may find you lose the energy to keep going. Little victories can build your self-confidence and help you feel ‘you can do this’.
2) It helps motivate you
Allowing yourself a moment of glory can help motivate you to keep going. You build up milestones that you can call on to remind yourself just how far you have come. It can lift your spirits and allow you to measure your achievements. When you celebrate your small victories, you will give yourself little hits of energy that will add up over time.
Once you start experiencing more energy it can become a positive feedback loop. You accomplish something, you celebrate, then you feel encouraged to achieve more. And who knows what that can lead to?
3) It makes you happy
It’s not rocket science :) You don’t have to wait till you get to your end goal to say ‘Hey, good job done!’ Progress - in any form - clearing 20 emails in your inbox of 50, doing two workouts this week instead of one, climbing the stairs at the office instead of taking the lift are all small wins and a positive sign that you are making progress. They can all contribute to us feeling happy and can have a big effect on how satisfied we feel generally.
And don’t forget to recognise the small wins that others make too. It is great to get a ‘well done’ from a colleague and equally good to givea ‘good job done’ and a ‘thank you’to them too.
So don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your goal this week. Pick yourself up and remind yourself how far you have come. We might not all be European Cup winners, but our little victories count too. 